


Birthday

by Control_Room



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Birthdays, Eska is Randoms, Gen, Ghosts, Gifts, Parties, Sweet, charlotte is stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:34:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23654659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Control_Room/pseuds/Control_Room
Summary: Today was a special day.
Relationships: Joey Drew/Henry Stein, the whole studio
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	Birthday

Today was a special day.

Joey felt happy, even though normally on that day he did not. But in the past, the day had been marred by family ruinations or worldly problems. 

He changed from his pajamas, pausing after putting on his pants and belt to study the silvery scars on his arms. 

He smiled, slipping on his dress shirt, humming as he tied his tie, his custom jacket covering each. Joey clasped on his pin, and smiled at himself in the mirror. 

Joey thought he looked ok.

It made him smile.

He whistled as he made his way down the stairs into the studio. It was too early for anyone else to be there, so he slipped outside to his garden. His bees instantly swirled around him, vibrating in tune of Happy Birthday. He grinned, tearing up. 

“Thanks y’all,” he mumbled, petting those that landed on him. Some tugged on his shirt, some pushed him by bumping into him. Joey smiled, letting himself go with them. They brought him over to their apiaries. “What’re you gals up to?”

He opened the apiary, and gasped. They all had arranged rose petals into a beautiful pattern, and set them in crystalized honey. A few of them picked it up with an effort, passing it into Joey’s scarred hand. 

A tear slipped from his eye as he grinned widely, eyes crinkling with joy. He wiped them with his free hand. 

“Oh, you girls shouldn’t’ve,” he murmured. If the bees had cheeks, they would have blushed. Some passed their one of their hands in an ‘it’s nothing’ motion. “Oh, it really is something. Thank you so much… you’re all lovely. Oh, g-goodness, thank you.”

He fed his chickens, and tended to his flowers and plants, attended to by his bees. 

Once he finished with his outdoor duties, he placed the crystalized honey charm on the mantle. He looked at it for some time, feeling a happy glow in his chest from the panacea decoration.

The clock chimed, catching his eye. Nine.

He continued admiring the amulet, until he did a snapping double take. 

NINE.

_ He was late to work.  _

Joey jumped up, running down the stairs into the studio. Curiously, no one else was around - not even Ms. Lampbert, who normally briefed him on his meetings. He checked his schedule. Nothing aside from ‘pub room’ was scrawled on it. Joey pursed his lips; he hated when people called the break room the pub room, sounded as though they would be drinking there, even though most alcohol was forbidden from the premises (aside from beer or other light drinks). 

Still, baffled, he made his way up to the break room, his light brown cane clacking as he walked. 

As soon as Joey walked into the room, the door slammed shut behind him, making him leap with a shriek. Heart pounding, he tugged on the handle, eyes attempting to adjust to the darkness. Even though his speed to adjust was higher than those without his color deficiency, he was not fast enough. Two hands grabbed each of his own and pulled him down the stairs slowly, he mute from surprise. Once he was on firm ground, the lights flashed on.

“Happy birthday!” the whole of the studio cried, laughing at his stunned expression. Shawn slapped a sticker onto Johan’s chest, it reading ‘bday boi’, which got a wheezing laugh from Willy, who gave his husband’s hand a squeeze. “Happy birthday, ye toll feck!”

“Ah-” was all Joey managed to say before Allison and Susie squished him in a bone breaking hug. Allison let go before Susie, who tugged Joey’s head down to ruffle his hair. He wiggled to try to escape, but her chokehold on him was far too powerful. She chanted, “Twenty seven! Twenty seven!”

She let him go when everyone joined in the chant, he snapping backwards. Being pulled down two feet is not very conducive to one’s back. He blushed, standing slightly awkwardly, not expecting this at all. He never even told anyone of his birthday.

“Happy birthday, darling!” Bertrum laughed, the ink kids clinging to him. Then the sextuplets jumped onto Johan, knocking him to the floor. “Happy birthday, Papi!” 

Johan teared up, hugging them all tightly. Words escaped him. Henry took his hand, picking him up from the floor. 

Henry gave him a small kiss. 

“Happy birthday, Joey,” Henry smiled. Joey blushed even more. “Took me ages to figure out that it was today. I called your brother for the information. Jeez, the lines to Night Vale are awful!”

“Yeah, they are,” Johan half lied. There are no lines to Night Vale. He furrowed his brow, about to speak, when speckled cinnamon arms wrapped around him. A carved wooden flower was placed into his hair. “W- Eska?”

“Good birthday.” The skeletal man croaked and nuzzled his head. “You’re not as bad as you could be.”

“Th-thank you?” Johan blushed and blinked. Eska vanished as his eyes were closed. Lacie clapped him on the back, sending him tumbling. She tapped onto hir glass to announce, “Cake time everyone!”

“I baked it with Dot and Buddy!” Linda excitedly grinned, and the older kids smiled behind her, waving. “Happy birthday Mr. Drew.”

“We made it dairy free,” Dot added, and hugged him. Buddy nodded, and then turned to Mr. Cohen. “And it’s kosher. We made it at my place.”

Joey sniffed, smiling, but on the verge of tears. 

Everyone who was able to hugged him within the moment. 

“Y’all are the best,” Joey said, his voice cracking, hugging all that he could. “I couldn’t ask for a better studio, a better family. I love you all!”

“We love you, too!” many voices chimed back. Henry, pressed to his chest, smiled at him. “I love you especially.”

The party went on for a bit, mostly full of laughter and birthday wishes. Johan was partially quiet, just soaking up the sweetness of the environment.

Some time later, when some were starting to excuse themselves to go to work, one person cleared his throat.

“We got you a present,” Norman, leaning against the wall, remarked, seemingly in a reminder to those around. “It’s outside.”

They lead him out to the car lot, and Joey’s mouth fell open when he saw his motorcycle. 

“We know you pawned it to pay for Shawn and Willy’s wedding,” Allison sheepishly told him. “And we know how much you love it, so we bought it back for you.”

“Y’all shouldn’t’ve,” Joey cried a bit, walking over to his bike in a bit of a dream. Sammy tossed him the keys. “Yeah, and Thomas fixed it up a bit. Some of the art department stylized it. Hope you like what they did with it.”

The toons were painted on it, making Joey cry even more. 

“I love it,” was all he could say. “I love it, I love it.” 

“Take it out for a spin,” Wally grinned, elbowing Henry over with a wink. “Go on!” 

“I mean,” Henry swallowed, looking apprehensive, knowing how much of a speed demon his husband was. He smiled nervously. “If you want. For your birthday.”

“Yes!” Johan beamed, yanking Henry over to swing him onto the bike, hopping on behind him, his long limbs able to reach the pedals and gears even with his round love before him. “Let’s go!”

They were off like a shot. 

When they returned, Henry was dizzy but laughing, and Johan never looked happier, his hair splayed every which way due to the wind. They had gone out to dinner, both rosy cheeked from laughing excessively. Henry excused himself to hang out with some of the others, and Johan went up to his roof, just as the moon peeked over the tall pines. When Charlotte shimmered into existence, Joey hugged her tightly.

“Oh! Hello darling!” she hugged him back. “What’s the matter?”

“I’ve t-turned twenty seven today,” he told her, smiling. Her brows rose, and she hugged him again, even tighter. “Happy birthday, Johan, goodness me!”

“Thank you, Ma,” he replied. “Would you like to come in for some tea?”

“I’d love to,” Charlotte happily answered, letting her son lead him inside (even though she could have floated through the walls). They talked, Henry and the kids joining them, even more laughter bundling into the day.

For Johan, this was the best birthday he had. 

Of course, he was always looking forward.


End file.
